This invention relates to an exercise device, and in particular to an exercise device of the body supporting type.
In general, exercise devices rely on springs, pulleys and cables for their operation, and consequently are somewhat complicated. The patent literature discloses exercise devices of the body supporting type which do not rely on expensive hardware. In this connection, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,761,081, issued to Clarence C. Simmons on Sept. 25, 1973; 3,782,717, issued to Daniel Berlin on Jan. 1, 1974; 3,787,049, issued to Oscar A. Rellinger on Jan. 22, 1974; 4,176,836, issued to Randy Coyle on Dec. 4, 1979; De. 258,975, issued to William F. Irvine on Apr. 21, 1981 and 4,332,381, issued to Sanford D. Lyons on June 1, 1982. Such patents describe structures for performing a variety of exercises. The Rellinger patent relates to a structure for performing a unique exercise of the type performed with the device of the present invention, while the Rellinger exercise structure is intended for performing the same exercise as the device of the present invention, the Rellinger structure is limited. Firstly, the feet of the user are loose, and consequently free to slip from the base of the Rellinger frame. Secondly, the Rellinger frame remains in one plane only, and consequently the structure offers no variety to the user. Finally, there are no handles on the Rellinger board for facilitating manual operation of the apparatus.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the above described structures by providing an exercise device which can be used in the same manner as the Rellinger structure, and which is relatively interesting and safe to use.